Granted Patent B2

US 8,543,672 · App. 10/452,626 · Granted Sep 24, 2013

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A method for reconfiguring a ring network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of links to form said network, the method comprising, at one of said nodes:

initiating reconfiguring of said one node in response to receipt of a network change message, NCM, received from an adjacent node;

blocking the link over which the NCM was received;

sending an NCM to the other adjacent node;

reconfiguring address information in said one node by at least partially flushing address information in said one node;

flushing any old queued messages from said one node;

transmitting a reconfigured message, RM, to said other adjacent node in response to completion of said flushing any old queued messages; and

de-blocking said link in response to a RM received from said adjacent node.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, at a node connected to a failed link:

initiating reconfiguring at said node in response to detection of failure of said link;

sending a NCM to an adjacent node at the other end of the non-failed link connected to said node;

blocking the failed link;

reconfiguring address information in said node by at least partially flushing address information in said node;

flushing any old queued messages from said node; and

transmitting a RM to said adjacent node at the other end of said non-failed link in response to completion of said flushing any old queued messages from said node.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, at a further node connected to a blocked link:

initiating reconfiguring of said further node in response to receipt of a NCM from an adjacent node;

blocking the link over which the NCM was received;

reconfiguring address information in said further node by at least partially flushing address information in said further node;

flushing any old queued messages from said further node;

de-blocking said blocked link in response to completion of said flushing of any old queued messages from said further node; and

de-blocking the link, over which the NCM was received, in response to a RM received from said adjacent node.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ring network is compliant with an Ethernet standard.

5. A network node comprising:

at least one input port;

at least one output port;

a data handler device for transmitting data from at least one of the input ports to at least one of the output ports;

a change detector for detecting a necessity for network changes;

a message generator device for generating at least one of a network change message and a reconfigured message and for transmitting said messages;

a memory for storing data representing network address information;

an erasing device for erasing at least a part of said memory, which erasing device is communicatively connected to at least one of the input ports and at least one of the output ports; and

an inhibitor device for blocking at least one of the input ports or the output ports;

wherein the message generator device, the erasing device and the inhibitor device are controlled by the change detector.

6. A data communication ring network comprising a plurality of network nodes each as claimed in claim 5 .

7. A computer program product, disposed on a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions for causing a processor to perform steps of a method according to claim 1 .

Assignments (15)